Please, Please Don't Leave Me
by Seanchaidh
Summary: Picks up Connor and Abby's story from the end of series 3. There will be twists. That's all I'm telling you. Any more would give them away. Will contain spoilers for all of series 3. If you haven't watched it yet, don't read this!
1. Chapter 1

**Please, Please Don't Leave Me**

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****Chapter 1**

Abby gasped for breath and let her body flop down on the other side of the tree. In a moment she would go down to the stream and rinse her mouth out, but right now she just had sit still and wait for her head to stop spinning and her stomach to stop lurching.

What was she going to do? She couldn't hide it forever. It wasn't as if she'd planned it, or been keeping it from him deliberately right from the start. The possibility of being pregnant hadn't even crossed her mind. At least not until Connor happened to mention one night that they could get a better view of the full moon from their new home than from their old one. That was when Abby realised just how long they had been stuck on the wrong side of an anomaly.

Up until yesterday, she had been hoping it was just the stress of being trapped in the cretaceous that had affected her monthly cycle. Then, yesterday morning, mercifully before Connor had woken up, she had had to make a sharp exit from their cave to throw up. She had tried to stay positive, telling herself that she could have picked up any number of stomach bugs in this place and she would probably be fine the next day. Now it was 'the next day' and she definitely wasn't fine.

Rubbing a hand across her abdomen, Abby made the decision that the this morning's bout of morning sickness was over and it was safe to go and clean up. She made her way down to the stream and started splashing cold water over her face, rinsing the last of the vomit out of her mouth and generally trying to make herself look and feel at least slightly more capable of dealing with the diverse range of killing machines prowling the forest and plains.

As cover for being gone so long, she filled a water bottle and poured the water over her head, soaking her hair. It helped get rid of the last feelings of nausea and gave her an excuse for coming back so bedraggled. She filled the water bottle again and got to her feet, making her way back to the cave.

Getting into and out of the cave was an interesting task, especially when she was trying to get out without throwing up on the way. The entrance was a small hole in the rock, just wide enough for Connor to squeeze through, about six feet up a near vertical cliff face. There were enough footholds and hand holds for a human to scramble up and down the cliff face, but no ledges that a small predator could use to hop up. Once through the entrance, the tunnel widened only slightly, making it impossible for larger predators to get to them. At the end of the tunnel was a cavern wide enough to let even the tallest human lie down flat and so high that Abby wasn't sure she could reach the roof if she was standing on Connor's shoulders. It was small, dark and enclosed by modern day standards, but in this world it was a haven of peace and safety. Even Connor's initial panic attacks had now stopped.

They had found the cave about a week after Danny had left them. They had spent the first three days sitting up a tree, waiting for Danny to return or someone else to come and get them. Nobody had turned up.

"What if he didn't manage to stop Helen?" Connor had asked one quiet evening.

"Connor!" Abby had chided him immediately.

"Well," he continued, "I mean, we can't stay up here forever. The supplies in our rucksacks are good, but they won't last forever."

"So what do you suggest?" Abby was tired and hungry, but what irritated her most was that she hadn't spotted that fact before Connor.

"Well, we need to keep out of reach of the raptors," said Connor thoughtfully. Abby wondered just how much though he had been putting into this plan. "The problem with trees, though," he continued, "is that they're not out of reach of the larger predators, and the herbivores for that matter. What we really want is what our ancestors had: a cave."

"Won't the raptors just walk in and corner us?"

"Not if we can find one that it would be difficult for them to get into. One with a river in front of it or a really tight entrance to squeeze past. We could even use some rocks to block the entrance up when we're not using it, like a door."

So on the morning of the fourth day they had gone looking for a cave. Connor was still limping a bit, but, with the help of his stick, he managed. They spent the fourth night up another tree, and then the fifth. On the sixth day they spotted the cliff rising up out of the landscape. They were at the edge of the forest and looking out across a wide prairie. Connor had started out into the open eagerly, but Abby had held back.

"Isn't this how all the extras die in Jurassic Park two?" Abby muttered, catching up with Connor and looking round warily, her own encouter with the titanis springing freshly into her mind.

The first cave they had found was at ground level, barely a crack in the rock to begin with, then gradually opening up inside. They had spent their sixth night there, only discovering the cave they were now in on the seventh day while out foraging. Abby herself had spotted it and clambered up to investigate before Connor could stop her. She had wriggled her way down to the cavern inside and shone the mini penlight from their survival kit around the dry, dark chamber. Connor's face when she emerged had been a picture of mingled hope and worry. His expression hadn't changed much when she announced that she had found their perfect hiding place.

Now she hauled herself back up the rock face and into the entrance tunnel. Her hands, feet and knees were already used to the climb and the crawl. She mentally measured out the distance before dropping and rolling into the cavern, wondering randomly if this was how a badger felt returning to its sett.

"Where've you been?" Connor muttered, his voice still heavy with sleep.

"Just down to the river," Abby replied, finding her way over to her own bundle of dried grass that served as a bed. She had to tell him sometime, of course, but was now the right time? Saying that, she thought, could there ever possibly be a right time to tell him this? She took a swig of the water from the bottle and steeled herself for his reaction. "Connor," she began. "We have a problem."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed this and set it as an alert. I hope Chapter 2 doesn't disappoint. **

***Passes virtual cookies round to everyone***

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**Chapter 2**

Connor stared into the blackness of the cave. Had he heard that right? Was he still asleep? Maybe he had just dreamed he had heard Abby return to the cave and drop that ever so minor bombshell on him. Maybe it was his subconscious telling him to start thinking about the challenges of living out the rest of his life in the same era as the dinosaurs he had grown up fascinated with. The very creatures that had begun his love of fossils, evolution and palaeontology, and were thus responsible for his chosen career path and the fact that he was lying here in this cold, dark cave hiding from them and wondering if he would ever make it back home.

Of course, as people always said, home is where the heart is. If he was stuck here forever, at least he had Abby here with him. Right now, if he had a choice of leaving here alone or staying with Abby, he knew where he would rather be. Perhaps that was why he had been more able to face the likelihood that, after the first couple of days anyway, Danny wasn't coming back.

"What if this is it?" Abby had asked him there very first night in their current home. "What if we never get out of here? What if we have to live out the rest of our lives hiding in a hole in a cliff face and only coming out to wash, drink and scavenge for food?"

He had drawn her into his arms then, listening to her voice get higher and more hysterical as she listed the many ways in which their life would be different now. He had held her close, telling her softly that everything would be all right, stroking her hair and rocking her back and forward like a child until she calmed down. It had felt strange to be the strong one for a change. It had felt even stranger to realise that Abby's panic had subsided into silent tears, rolling down her cheeks and into his clothes.

Slowly, gradually, he had felt her breathing slow and become more regular as she fell asleep, exhausted by the exertion of the day, followed by her moment of panic. He had shuffled them both over to the side of the cavern, pulling a rucksack over to support his back and leaning back against the rock wall. It had taken him a while to fall asleep himself: his brain had been far too busy making plans and working out just what they might need to survive here indefinitely.

The next morning he had woken to the gentle pressure of Abby's lips on his cheek. He remembered the mingled feelings of elation and disappointment. On the one hand, he couldn't remember ever being woken up in a nicer way. On the other hand, though, he wished the kiss had been on his lips instead. He had felt Abby's head return to his shoulder and her hand rest upon his chest, right over his heart.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Abby had whispered, her voice much calmer than it had been the night before.

"It's okay, you didn't," Connor had mumbled without thinking.

"Don't lie to me, Conn. Your breathing and your heart rate changed. I'm close enough to feel them both. I know you're just trying to be nice, but right now I just need to know that you'll tell me the truth, no matter what. We have to be honest with each other if we're going to get through this. Brutally honest."

"Is this the part where you tell my I snore, have bad breath and my feet smell?" Connor quipped, trying to lighten the mood.

"No," said Abby. "This is where I ask you the tough questions."

"Oh," Connor replied simply. "Such as?"

"Will we ever make it home?"

Connor had taken a deep breath before answering that. Too much hope and Abby might start burying her head in the sand again, too little and she might give up completely.

"I don't know," he had said, finally. "But what I do know is that not one single human skeleton has been found dating back to anything anywhere near the Cretaceous period, or any of the other non-human eras. That at least suggest that we do get out of here, perhaps even all the way back home. All it takes is one anomaly and we're out of here. Just remember, that very first anomaly we found, the Permian one that Rex came through. That same anomaly opened up in exactly the same place, months later in our timeline, but five years back on the Permian side."

"So what? We hang around for five years or so and see if another one opens up then try and avoid ourselves until the timelines straighten themselves out?"

"If necessary, yes."

That had been the first and last time they had discussed their situation. Ever since then they had gradually been building up their collection of tools, weapons, home comforts and storable foods. Now it looked as though they were going to have another problem to think about.

He drew a hand down over his face, feeling that his eyes were definitely open. He was definitely awake. He had definitely heard what he thought he had heard.

"Connor?" Abby's voice sounded weak and shaky. "Conn, did you hear me?"

"Yeah... Yes, I heard you," Connor muttered, his voice hoarse. He swallowed nervously. "Are you sure?"

"As sure as I can be out here."

Connor nodded, ignoring the fact that Abby couldn't see him in the pitch darkness of the cave. His mind had now taken hold of another thread of thought. Initially, he had been thinking forward: images of Abby and himself raising a child in the inhospitable Cretaceous landscape. Now he was thinking back. He might spend the rest of his life here with the woman he loved, raising a family and doing an impression of Fred Flintstone, but it wouldn't be his family he was raising. Not this child anyway. There wasn't much that he was sure of in this world, but of that he was absolutely certain.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews everyone. Have some virtual cookies!**

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**Chapter 3**

Abby sat in the darkness, trying to read Connor's thoughts in the gentle ebb and flow of his breathing. She thought she knew at least part of what was going through his mind. That the baby wasn't his was right up there at the top of the list, but she didn't think he'd linger on that fact. It wasn't as if there was any room for doubt in the matter. Who the father actually was, she thought, was probably taking up more of brain at present.

That idea, of course, raised more questions in Abby's mind. Would Connor ask her? In any other circumstances she might have said no: it wasn't his business therefore he wouldn't press her for any information she didn't volunteer. That didn't mean he wouldn't want to know though. Besides, out here, in the situation they were in, she had made it his business. He was all she had to help her through this and by telling him now, before he had the chance to work it out for himself, she was effectively asking him to be a part of it all. To protect her and look after her when she was weak and vulnerable. To help her raise the child and look after it. He wasn't the father, but she was asking him to take over that role. Surely it was natural to want to know whose role he was taking over?

Abby shifted her weight nervously. She wanted to crawl over to him and curl up in his arms, like she had that first night in the cave. She had been so grateful for his presence that night. They had spent the day gathering armfuls of dry grasses to line the inside of the cavern and to pile up into comfortable sleeping areas. Connor had spent two hours trying to catch some fish in the river and had come back with just one meagre specimen. They had cooked it outside the cave, wary of a fire in a small enclosed space filled with straw, and had just curled up inside for the night. As soon as Abby had turned the torch off, she had heard Connor's breathing get more and more rapid. She had head him sit up and start taking deep breaths. He was determined to overcome his claustrophobia on his own. She had heard him muttering to himself. Going over the reasons why he should stay in the cave. Typical Connor, she could remember thinking: trying to get rid of an irrational fear with rational arguments.

She had lain still, listening as Connor's breathing slowed back down to normal and only daring to ask if he was okay once she was sure the answer was yes. In his usual stuttering manner, he had answered her, explaining his reaction and the way he had brought the panic back under control, as if explaining everything to her helped him understand the process himself.

"I-I just have to remember that here is safe," he had said. "No matter how much I want to get out there, out there is much more dangerous than in here and no matter how dangerous my head thinks it is in here, it's much safer in here than it is out there. If that makes any sense."

Abby had laughed at his wild rambling then. Just a short laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. Connor hadn't joined her.

"It's just, you see," he paused, as if wondering how best to phrase the rest of that thought. "Well, I mean, if we're stuck here now. For, like, ages and that. I've got to be able to live here, in this cave. Because if I can't..."

His voice had trailed off then, or perhaps Abby had just stopped listening. Connor's words had sunk in. What if they were stuck here? What if they never got home? That was when she had felt the panic start. She could remember asking Connor what they would do if they had to stay here forever and various other 'what if' type questions. She had been babbling hysterically. He had moved over to her and held her, wrapping his arms around her like a blanket and whispering to her that it would be all right, his own panic completely forgotten. The rest of her questions had all melted into a blur after that. She had a vague idea that she had cried herself to sleep, but that was more pieced together by the fact that she had woken up with Connor's arms still holding her safe.

Safe.

She had never felt so safe in her life as she had that morning. It was a bizarre realisation. She had lain there, not wanting to move in case she broke the spell, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest, listening to and feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing and the regular beat of his heart. Even now Abby couldn't think what had made her reach up and kiss him, but she had. Not on the lips - she had no right to presume that much - but on the cheek. The kiss of one friend grateful for the unexpected strength of the other. His cheek had been rough where she kissed it, but it didn't matter. She didn't trust herself to reach a hand up and work out where the stubble ended. That might have been too much of a temptation and he didn't deserve that.

Abby didn't regret that first proper kiss between them so long ago and yet so far in the future from where they were now. If anything, she wished she had done it sooner. Perhaps if she had, they would have been together properly and what had happened afterward might not have happened. What worried her was that it might have happened even if they had been together. After all, she loved him, didn't she? She had loved him even before he had made that desperate declaration on the mer cliff. So if she loved him so much, how could she have possibly done what she had, after finally kissing him and getting his hopes up? How could she have betrayed him so utterly? And, as if to add insult to injury, he was now being forced to deal with the consequences of her mistake.

"Connor, say something," she whispered, the words catching in her dry throat. If he was going to ask her for the father's name, she wanted to get it over and done with. Perhaps if they got it out of the way quickly, it would hurt less, like ripping off a plaster.

"Can you sew?" Connor murmured, thoughtfully.

"What?" Abby frowned, confused.

"Can you sew?" Connor repeated. "I should have thought about this earlier, but I didn't. We have everything else: food, water, shelter. I guess part of me realised our clothes would wear out in time, but now you're going to need new clothes much sooner. So will the baby. So will I eventually, but I'm not planning on changing my size and shape just that much!"

Abby laughed in relief. Trust Connor to think about the practical side! He'd been doing that a lot recently. It was almost as if all those weird sci fi movies and programs he had watched had somehow impressed on his mind the necessity for survival and the skills needed to achieve it. Fair enough, they hadn't taught him much about fighting, or firing guns, but it was Connor who had twined together their first fishing line. It was Connor who had built their oven out of flat rocks, who had hammered and carved their bark bowls and fire starting kit. It was Connor who had built the fish trap they had wedged under a nearby waterfall to catch their dinner for them and the spears they used to defend themselves. It was Connor who had made sure they had survived this long. Why shouldn't he be the one to think about the things they might need in the future.

"What are you planning?" Abby asked, finally letting herself shuffle over to his side. He flung an arm out, brushing her back as it passed her, and Abby took this as an invitation to lie down. As soon as she had settled herself, her head on his chest, she felt Connor's arm wind itself round her shoulders.

"Catch something bigger than a fish. Kill it. Skin it. Clean the skin and peg it out to dry. See if we can make some useful sort of leather out of it. Then see what else we can make out of it."

The plan was so simple and straightforward that, for a moment, Abby wondered why she hadn't thought of it herself. Then, of course, the flaw appeared in her mind.

"Connor?"

"Hmm?"

"Since the only things round here larger than fish are dinosaurs, what precisely are you planning on trying to kill and how?"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: thank you again to all those who reviewed this. *Passes round cookies* Thanks especially to Gemma, who reviewed as a guest and therefore didn't have a reply link. I'm glad you want to keep reading. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.**

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**Chapter 4**

From the moment Abby had announced her pregnancy, Connor's mind had started working out what they would need to help them survive this new challenge. His mind had been so focussed on that one chain of thought that it took him a moment or so to work out why Abby sounded so surprised by his first question. Of course, he told himself, it was a rather random thing to ask, on its own, but still, even after explaining their new need for sewing skills, he felt he heard something odd in her voice. It was a mixture of amusement and relief, but something else as well. She hadn't expected him to be so practical, perhaps. Maybe that was it.

Then it hit him. Of course. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier? She was expecting him to ask who the father was. It was obvious now. Amusement at the random plan of action he had formed. Relief at the question not asked. Trepidation for when the dreaded question would finally be asked. That was what he had heard in her voice: fear. The fear that eventually he would ask her whose child he was looking after. The fear that he would turn her away because the child wasn't his, or perhaps because of who the father really was.

He hadn't thought of it like that. Raising another man's child. It was Abby's child. It wasn't his baby, that much he had registered, but whoever had fathered the child was irrelevant. Abby was pregnant. Abby needed him. That was all that mattered.

He felt Abby move over to his side and automatically reached an arm out. If she needed to be close to him now, he wasn't going to turn her away. He would never do that. He knew exactly why he was the strong one now: everything he ever really wanted was right here with him. He had no family to miss, not like Abby. All he wanted, all he had ever wanted for so long now, was to be with her. His only worries now were not how to get home, but how to keep them alive and together.

He hadn't raised the subject of the kiss because he hadn't wanted to push her away. He had held her when she was cold, afraid or lonely. He had tried to cheer her up when she was sad. He had found food for them when they were hungry. He had done everything he could to make their life in the cave more bearable. Not for himself, but for her. All for her. And he would continue doing everything for her, and her baby, for as long as she would let him, even if it meant being nothing more than a useful friend. Just being with her was enough.

Of course he spotted the flaw in his plan as soon as Abby asked him what he intended to kill. He really should have thought of it earlier, but his mind had moved on to other items. He thought it through for a moment. There were mammals alive in the cretaceous, but most, if not all, were small furry things you could barely make a bootee out of, never mind maternity clothes. Plus, wherever possible, it was a good idea to avoid killing something that might turn out to be your great, great, great however many times grandfather or something. The dinosaurs at least were already doomed by this point.

"Dig a big hole, I guess," Connor sighed. "See what falls in."

"And if what falls in turns out to be a very angry raptor?"

"Find something large, heavy and solid to drop on it! There must be some rocks around here that would do the trick!"

Abby laughed a short, half-hearted laugh. It trailed away into silence quickly, leaving Connor unsure of how to fill the void.

"Why haven't you asked me yet?" Abby murmured, winding the cord or Connor's hooded top around her fingers nervously. The heel of her hand still rested on Connor's chest and he could feel the movement almost as clearly as if he saw it happening and he understood it. She was scared, needing reassurance.

"Asked you what?" Connor replied, knowing full well what the answer was.

"Asked me who the father is," Abby whispered. "You have every right to."

"Because it doesn't matter," Connor stated simply, shrugging to emphasise his point.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter. Knowing who the father is won't exactly change anything."

"So you'd help me raise another man's child without even knowing who's baby it is?" Abby sounded shocked, or perhaps just surprised.

"It's your baby," Connor explained gently. "You're the one I care about, not whoever got you in this mess."

In the darkness of the cave, he reached up and switched on the penlight. They almost never used the tiny torch now, conserving its battery power for when it was truly needed. This counted as one of those times. He needed her to be able to see his face. To see that he meant what he was about to say.

"Abby," Connor said, watching her blinking at the sudden light. "Abby look at me."

Abby looked up at him. Her make up was completely gone now, but even without mascara streaks Connor could still tell she had been crying recently. He swallowed, suddenly nervous.

"Abby, you know how I feel about you," he said, trying to stop his voice shaking. "You know I would do anything for you, no matter what. I will spend my life looking after you if you'll let me. You and the baby. It doesn't matter that its not my kid because it's your kid and that's all I need to know."

He watched as Abby stifled a sob, trying to find the words and the courage to continue.

"I-I know you don't love me back," he said, flinching as he said it. "Not the way I love you. But it doesn't matter. I'd rather be here with you now than anywhere else in the world, well, space-time continuum, and I am staying right here. Whatever you need - food, clothes, water, someone to hold your hair back when you throw up - I'll do it. I'll be there. For everything."

Abby was crying now, the tears flowing freely down her face. Connor read yet another complex mixture of emotions there: relief, gratitude and one or two others he didn't trust himself to be sure of.

"I do love you, Connor," Abby sobbed, reaching a hand up to rest against his cheek. "You have no idea how much I love you. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I messed you about. But I just don't deserve you. You're, you're... You're just so..." she struggled for words, eventually giving up and shrugging. "You're a good man. The best. And I really wish this baby was yours. I was weak and stupid and I did something I'm probably going to regret forever because in doing what I did, I let you down. I cheated on you before we even got started. When I kissed you, I didn't mean it to be a one off. I didn't want it to just be something that happened once between friends. I wanted more. I wanted you. But instead, I chickened out and went home, without telling you that. Maybe if I had, things would have been different."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thanks again to all those reviewing. I love to know what you think. Here: have some more cookies. *Passes round cookies* (Ad break! For more cookies and random banter feel free to check out the Primeval Writers Guild forum on here, brought to you by yours truly and Xanthiae, or browse through the Top-Rated Primeval Fics Community, brought to you by Xanthiae and yours truly... /Ad break!).**

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**Chapter 5**

Abby woke up groggily. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and tried to roll on to her back, but found Connor's sleeping body in the way. She smiled and traced her hand down his arm, draped over her side and resting on her growing bump. She threaded her fingers through his and sighed in contentment. How bizarre that she had had to lose everything in order to see that everything she really needed was right here.

So far, so good, she thought. They had taken things one day at a time and had made it this far. Connor had succeeded in trapping or scavenging enough creatures to produce a considerable quantity of usable skins. Between them they had worked out the best way to make string out of sinews and sew the skins together. Purely by scavenging alone, they had found enough mammals to make a small, but warm, blanket for the baby. Every few days, the blanket grew a little bit more, keeping pace with Abby's bump. By the time the baby arrived, Abby thought, the blanket would be big enough to wrap even the chubbiest new born in.

Mercifully, the morning sickness had stopped long ago. It had taken about a month to decide to do so, but she'd had three months of peaceful mornings since then. Now she was making the most of them before she had a hungry baby to look after. The thought of being a mother still terrified her. How could she possibly care for a baby in a world like this one? What if anything happened to her, or to Connor? Or worse, to both of them? What if something went wrong with the birth? Connor was hardly a trained midwife. Or afterwards? What if she couldn't feed the baby or got an infection or something?

Abby felt Connor stir beside her. He wrapped his arm tighter round her, pulling her close and kissing her shoulder.

"Whatever it is, we'll get through it," he murmured sleepily into her ear.

It was only then that Abby realised how tight her grip on Connor's hand had become. Her breathing and heart rate had speeded up too, signalling panic. It had woken him and he had noticed it, understood it and done what he could to reassure her. It had worked too. Abby felt her body relax and calm down. Connor was already drifting back to sleep, his arm holding her close, but without trapping her if she needed to get up and move about. He was becoming an expert on her moods, Abby thought. In an environment where they rarely saw each other's faces, they had learnt to read emotional signs in each other's voice, breathing and, when they were close enough, pulse. She could tell when he was sleeping, thinking, happy, sad, confused, elated, worried, bored, plotting, sulking or hiding something from her, and she was fairly sure he could do the same for her. He certainly knew when she was worried.

Carefully wriggling out from under Connor's arm and the raptor skin blanket, whose previous owner had indeed been killed by having a large rock dropped on it, Abby made her way over to the tunnel and crawled out to greet the morning light. The tunnel was starting to get to be a bit of a squeeze now, but not so much that she couldn't avoid scraping her belly off the rock floor. Not at present anyway. That could easily change over the course of the next two months.

Checking for any signs of life outside the cave and finding none, Abby threw down the rope ladder she had made, with a bit of help from Connor, from braided grasses. She was sure she could probably still have managed the climb without it, but it had certainly made life easier recently. She picked her way through the scattering of stones that littered the ground below the cave and made her way towards the river. It took her no more than a minute to splash her face with water, rinse her mouth out, soak her hair and refill the water bottle she had taken with her. She had whittled the process down to a fine art, looking up and checking the area every few seconds without losing track of what she was doing.

She made her way back to the cliff, walking at an angle to the path she had followed to begin with. She wasn't going back to the cave, she was going to their larder. Over the past four months since discovering her pregnancy, they had extended their empire of caves along the cliff. All were smaller than the one they lived in, but large enough to be useful as stores. She passed the low lying cave they used to store the many tools Connor had made, some more successfully than others, and continued along the wall of the cliff until she came to a space below a high, narrow opening, similar to the entrance to their living quarters. Pulling a long stick out from a crevice at the bottom of the cliff, Abby reached up and hooked the end of the stick through a loop protruding from the end of the opening. She gave a sharp tug and another rope ladder tumbled down to her. Once again she sighed and silently blessed Connor's ingenuity before scrambling up the ladder to the cave.

Inside the larder cave, Connor had set up row upon row of wooden beams. Some had been wedged into existing cracks in the rock at either end, others had had holes cut for them in the wall. The atmosphere in the cave was smoky and warm, but not as much as it should have been. Abby would have to mention that to Connor. With winter now approaching, they couldn't risk losing their food store.

She reached up and unhooked two smoked fish from one side of the larder, placing them into the large pouch sewn into the front of her dinosaur skin tunic for that very purpose. It was only meats that were stored here: any other foods were kept in the living quarters on a shelf that Connor had built, after a number of failed attempts, in the corner of the cave where Abby used to sleep.

Making her way back to the larder entrance, it struck Abby that she had never yet seen the inside of their home since she had moved her bedding over next to Connor. They had even managed an almost-mattress type construction by weaving thin twigs together into a rough box shape to keep all the straw in place. It wasn't the most comfortable bed in the world, but it was an improvement to waking up with nothing but rock under you. Everything was a work in progress, though, and she knew that Connor was planning on using his new animal-skinning skills to try and put together a large sack they could stuff with straw instead.

With the rope ladder to the larder safely tucked away again, and the reaching stick hidden back in the cliff face, Abby turned and followed the wall of the cliff back towards their home.

Home.

It didn't sound weird any more to be calling a cave in the Cretaceous home.

She had just put a foot on the bottom rung of the rope ladder when she heard a noise behind her. She froze and cursed herself inwardly. In her reverie she had neglected to look around her as much as she should have. She had let herself get careless.

Forcing her lungs to keep her breathing slow and steady, Abby edged her head round to look behind her. Was it something harmless in search of fresh grass by the river? Or a raptor, guided here by the smell of the smoked fish she was carrying? Nothing. She turned her body round, keeping the movement slow and smooth. No dinosaurs, no proto-mammals, just grass and rocks. She sighed and leant back against the rock wall in relief.

"There you are," said Connor's voice from above her. "I've been to the river and back while you were out. Where did you go? You being sick again?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Abby smiled up at the silly grin looking down at her from above. "I just went to get breakfast."

"Great! I'm starving!"

"And you didn't think to check the larder for me then?" Abby chided as she pulled her increasing bulk up the rope ladder. "Or even head over there to get some food yourself?"

"I didn't know where you'd gone," said Connor, shuffling backwards down the entrance to give her room. "I was worried. And I didn't want you to get back here and have to worry about where I was."

"Hmm."

Abby felt Connor's hand reach out for her as she got to the cavern. He helped her up and guided her over to the stool he had made for her out of flat rocks and woven twigs. She rewarded him with a smoked fish and they ate their breakfast in silence, listening to the sounds of the outside world waking up. It was strange, she thought, that this should so soon have become normality for them. They had lived in the Cretaceous for seven months now, through spring, summer and now early autumn. Just another couple of months and her baby would be born. The first child to be born in the Cretaceous. Technically, she supposed, the first child ever to be born. Maybe then Connor would stop treating her like she was an expensive crystal figurine, too delicate and fragile to be held too tightly. A thought suddenly struck her. She smiled mischievously.

"Connor?" Abby said innocently.

"Hmm?" Connor replied, his mouth full.

"D'you think we'll have any more kids after this one?"

Connor choked.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone reading this. I love getting the reviews and PMs, especially when people have ideas about who the father is. Have some cookies. I hope you enjoy yet another way to torture poor Connor.**

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**Chapter 6**

Connor sat bolt upright. Half a second ago he had been sound asleep dreaming that they were back in their flat and Rex was wanting breakfast. Now he was wide awake in inky darkness, listening to Abby scream.

"Abby?" Connor's voice sounded high and loud, a sure sign of panic. He took a deep breath and tried again. "Abby, what's happening?"

Another scream rent the air and a hand slammed down on his thigh, nails digging in like talons.

"Wild guess here: you're having contractions!" Connor replied, wincing as pain shot through his leg where Abby's nails had made contact.

"Full marks for observation, Connor!" Abby groaned, sounding distinctly uncomfortable. "It's only taken about an hour to wake you up!"

"Well, let's be thankful for small mercies, ey," he said, reaching up and switching on the penlight torch resting in its niche. A few improvements had been added since last time and light flooded the cavern as it reflected off the mirrors Connor had placed in its path. He looked down. Abby was pale and sweating. Obviously in pain.

"What do I do?" Connor asked her, brushing the hair back from her forehead. "Tell me what to do."

"Pain killers!" Abby gasped, her hold on Connor's leg easing as the wave of contractions ebbed. "Any of them!"

Connor turned his attention to the rucksack Becker had given him so many months ago. Along with Abby's pack, it had proved to be their lifeline. It had provided them with basic first aid, penicillin, knives, two emergency survival blankets, waterproof clothing, water, rations, matches, a lighter, ropes, torches, batteries, mirrors, very fine needles and thread, fishing line, one kinetic torch in Becker's pack and a survival manual in Abby's. Connor dragged out the first aid kit and the kinetic torch. Almost as an afterthought, he reached back and grabbed the survival manual as well. Every item in the packs had served them well, but none better than the torch and the manual. He wound up the torch frantically, turning the handle as fast as he dared and hoping there would be something in the manual about delivering babies.

There wasn't.

Grabbing a bottle of water, he handed Abby some painkillers. Two co-codamol. That was the maximum dose for four hours. He looked at his watch. It had stopped. Typical! He scrambled over Abby and crawled up the entrance tunnel, peering up at the night sky. It took a few minutes, but he found it: the first constellation they had picked out in the Cretaceous night sky. They'd called it Rex. Muttering as he did so, he worked out where the constellation would be in four hours, linked the position to some landmarks on the horizon, and hurried back in to Abby.

"Where did you disappear to?" Abby groaned.

"Just checking the clock, darling, no need to worry."

"Call me that again and I'll personally chop your..."

"Point taken. How's the pain?"

Abby screamed again. The next bout of contractions had started. They were close together. Connor reached for the torch again.

"Okay, Abby, tell me what to do," he said. "I've never done this before."

"Neither have I, you imbecile!"

Connor opened his mouth to argue that she'd delivered plenty of babies before, one in the presence of a diictodon, but thought better of it. There was a difference between delivering offspring in hospital wards or zoo enclosures and delivering the only midwife's own baby in the middle of a cave in the Cretaceous. The nearest hospital wasn't a matter of minutes away, it was a matter of millions of years away!

"Okay, I'm going to have a look and see what's going on, Abby. Just tell me what I should see."

"Mirror!" Abby cried, through gritted teeth.

"What? Oh!" Connor reached up and grabbed one of the mirrors he had set up around the cavern, instantly darkening the room considerably. He held the mirror and torch in place and waited for Abby's instructions.

After much directing with the mirror, Abby, satisfied she had a clear view of the situation, had finally given him some instructions. The last of the instructions had been to 'grow up and start acting like a man'. He had followed her orders to the letter after that and, some half hour later, was now sitting, hyperventilating over the squealing bundle in his arms.

A rolled up bandage hit Connor on the side of the head and he came back to his senses with a start. He looked round. Abby was sitting up, looking pale and weak but still scary. He handed her baby, holding up the umbilical cord and staring at the placenta feeling distinctly like passing out. He became aware of fingers snapping in front of his face.

"Scissors!" Abby snapped. "Come on, Connor!"

Shaking his head, Connor reached past Abby for the first aid kit and pulled out a pair of scissors. He handed them to Abby and watched as she cut and tied the cord, holding up the torch as and where she directed him.

"Now what do we do?" Connor asked shouting over the infant's wails.

"Clean him up for starters," Abby replied, putting the child down in the curved bark cradle they had made just three weeks ago and picking up the bottle of water.

Connor watched as she cleaned the baby boy with the water and an old rag, turning the cradle into a baby bath. The child complained loudly at the cold water, but quietened down when Abby dried him off and wrapped him in one of the survival blankets. Connor stared at Abby, holding the tiny baby and rocking him back and forth. Of all the weird, wonderful and truly mental stuff he'd witnessed, watched or invented over the course of his lifetime, this was something else. This was truly amazing. There were three people in this cave where just an hour ago there had only been two. He became aware of Abby calling his name again.

"Hm? What?" Connor muttered, looking up from the child to its mother.

"What are we going to call him?" Abby asked.

"What do you want to call him?" Connor replied, unhelpfully.

"I have a few ideas," Abby shrugged. "I want to hear yours though."

"I hadn't thought, I mean, he's not mine, is he. I've no right..." The look on Abby's face told Connor he had said the wrong thing and he immediately started backpedalling. "I mean, I love him, and you, and I'll look after you both and everything, but I just didn't want to assume..."

"Just tell me what names you can think of now," Abby sighed.

Connor stared hard at the child, running through names in his head. Automatically, all the names of his favourite science fiction characters came first. As he tried to pick one, though, another name came into his head and he felt his eyes sting with tears. Tom would have loved to see this. He would never have believed it.

"Tom," Connor gulped. "I want to call him Tom."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks again to all the people reading this and reviewing it or adding it to their favourites. This chapter may be a little close to the bone for some but I'm going to claim artistic licence as it is necessary for the story.**

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**Chapter 7**

Abby glanced up, hearing the sound of Connor shuffling back into the cavern. Baby Tom, now two months old, was sleeping peacefully in her arms. He had just been fed and winded, but Abby still couldn't quite bring herself to put him down in his cradle right away.

She watched as Connor dumped the armful of fresh straw on the floor and knelt down to continue re-stuffing their mattress. Every day for the past two months they had gone through this ritual, even though the last of the afterbirth had bled away at least a month ago. She really should say something to him, she thought, but it was sweet how he took so much care of her. Too much care, sometimes.

Abby sighed, kissed Tom's forehead and put him down in the cradle. Connor had finished stuffing the mattress and was sitting on it, bouncing up and down slightly. Abby sat down beside him, picked up his arm and draped it across her shoulders. Connor looked round at her and she felt her breath catch as their eyes met. He grinned, making her giggle slightly. His grin always was infectious. Now that they had decided to keep the lights on for the baby, she was seeing a lot more of it. It was nice. His eyes were nice too. Warm and comforting. Eyes that could melt an ice age. She bit her lip and held his gaze.

"What?" Connor asked, confused. "Have I got straw in my hair or something?"

"No," Abby replied simply, shaking her head and smiling. She picked up his hand and turned it over, examining the myriad of cuts and scratched he had acquired during their time in the cave, every one of them a token of his determination to take care of her. She wasn't just grateful for them, she was awed by them.. "But you don't have to keep changing the mattress, I'm okay now. We should be fine unless Tommy decides to throw up on it again."

Tommy's talents of projectile vomiting were currently unsurpassed.

"How is he?" Connor whispered, watching as Abby traced her fingers along the lines of his hand.

"He's fine. Sound asleep. A T-Rex roaring in the door wouldn't wake him. I don't know how he does it!"

"Must take after his father then," Connor joked, immediately ducking his head to cover a curse and looking sheepish.

"Well, I certainly had enough trouble waking you when he arrived," said Abby without looking up. "And you're the only father he has as far as I'm concerned."

She heard him breath in sharply. Was he going to ask her now? He might have said that it didn't matter, but that didn't stop him being curious. She often wondered if the varied faux pas he had come out with in the past two months had been something to do with a part of him that really did want to know but just couldn't bear to tell her that.

"You can still ask me," she said. "You know, about the biological father."

It wasn't the first time she had reminded him of this, and it probably wouldn't be the last either, but every time his answer had remained the same: it doesn't matter. It stayed the same now.

"How are you?" Connor asked, obviously trying to change the subject. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," Abby breathed, raising her eyes to his face. He was looking down now, watching her hand in his. "As good as new."

"Good. That's good."

Abby watched his face for a few moments more then, when it became clear that he had run out of things to say, she turned and leant back against him, pulling his arms around her. She felt his head come down next to hers, then felt him kiss the side of her head softly. Her eyes fluttered. As far as kisses went, that had been the most she could hope for over the past eight months they had been together. It made her painfully aware of the contrast between Connor's expectations and those of Tom's father. It was one of the reasons she loved him. He would never rush her into anything. In fact, she thought, he'd probably ask her to marry him first, or she'd have to ask him more likely. Either way, that wasn't going to happen here.

Abby's mind flew back to that declaration, eight whole months ago. He had said then that he would spend his life looking after her. Well, she would willingly spend her life trying to make him happy. That was good enough for her. She had never been much of a believer in big church weddings or pretentious ceremonies. She loved him, and always would. As far as she could tell, he felt the same way. She had no reason not to believe him. Quite the opposite in fact. That was good enough for her. Now all she had to do was get him to realise that!

"Connor, I won't break if you touch me you know," Abby sighed, a little more forcefully than she had meant to. She heard him wince and hurried to heal the wound. "I mean, I know we've never exactly been through this before, but honestly: I feel fine. Back to my old self again."

She felt him pull her close to him. This time the kiss landed on the bare skin of her shoulder. She shivered at the contact. It was the closest they had been for months. If he didn't make a move now, she might be forced to take drastic action. Again!

"Sorry," Connor mumbled, pulling away again.

"Don't be sorry!" Abby hissed. "And don't you dare stop doing that!"

Without the expressive guidance of Connor's face, Abby didn't know whether to cry or laugh in the silence that followed that remark. Either she had just overstepped the mark completely or she had utterly bewildered him. The continued pressure of his arms around her suggested it was the latter. She waited patiently for the idea to sink in and take root in his brain. He really was hopeless sometimes. This time, when he kissed her shoulder, he didn't pull away. He kissed her again instead. Short, sweet kisses, working their way up her neck.

She sighed in relief. Finally he'd got the message! A small noise escaped her lips as she felt his arms move and turn her round to him. His lips caught hers and she responded the only way she knew how. It was only once the kiss deepened and became more passionate that she realised the gentle pressure of his body against hers had pushed her backwards until her back was almost touching the mattress. She raised an eyebrow. She'd expected to have to do a bit more cajoling to get that far. Maybe he did know something about women after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thank you everyone who has stuck with this story all the way through (even those who aren't Cabby fans: I appreciate the effort!) I don't often write two endings for a story, but when I got to a certain point with this one, I knew it could go either way and I could write it either way, so I did. The alternate ending is posted right after this one. Technically, I suppose it doesn't matter which one you read first...**

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**Chapter 8**

Connor woke up and yawned. He tried to stretch his arms, but remembered one arm was still wrapped around Abby. He bent his head down in the darkness and kissed the top of her head where it lay on his shoulder. Letting his head fall back onto the straw mattress, he sighed happily. One month. One whole month of being the happiest man alive. Okay, so technically he was the only man alive at present, but still. He had a purpose in life: a wife and child to take care of. Okay, so there hadn't been any wedding ceremony, but there never would be here. If they ever did get back to their own time, he'd take care of that. He had no money worries, a safe comfortable home that nobody could take away from him, enough food to get his entire family through the winter and the woman he loved lying by his side with her arms wrapped round him. Life didn't get much better.

A small sound from Abby told him that she was waking up. She usually woke up shortly after he did, unless Tommy woke them both of course: then Abby was always first on her feet. He felt her hand slide up his body and pull his head down to hers. He smiled against her lips. This was another morning ritual that made life that little bit more worth living.

"Morning beautiful," he whispered, aware that baby Tommy was still sound asleep for once.

"It's pitch black in here, Connor," Abby replied. "You can't see whether I'm beautiful or not."

"You're always beautiful," he smiled, kissing her forehead. "In every way."

"And you're a sentimental, romantic fool," Abby chided.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway, right?"

"Always."

"So marry me."

"What?"

Connor felt Abby's weight leave his side as she sat up in shock. He sat up and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"What's wrong?" Connor whispered in her ear. "Tell me."

"N-nothing, I..." Abby stuttered, then took a deep breath. "I just wasn't expecting that," she said. "I mean it's not like we can go out and find a priest or a registry office or whatever here, is it?"

"Do we need one?"

"I think it is a bit of a necessity, Connor, yes. Witnesses too."

"Okay, so we don't have any of that," Connor shrugged. "But that said, we don't have any government to check up on us, or any God-squad to judge us, or any taxes to pay or people to prove things to. We have each other. When you come right down to it, what is a wedding all about? It's about promising to love each other and take care of each other forever. And I do. And I will. What more do we need?"

Abby was silent for a while and began to Connor wonder if she had changed her mind about him. Suddenly he felt something wet drop onto the arm that he held around Abby's waist. A tear. She was crying.

"Abby?" Connor whispered, his voice betraying the worry he felt. "Abs? Say something. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Abby gasped, reaching a hand up to scrub the tears away from her face. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"If we ever get back home, we do this properly, for real, in front of everyone."

"Big white dress. As many bridesmaids as you like. Massive cake. Honeymoon suite in a five star hotel in the Bahamas. The works."

"I love you, Connor Temple," Abby laughed, twisting round and pulling his head down to hers again. "I always will. Everything I have, everything I am, is yours. Body, heart and soul. As long as I live."

"You are my everything," Connor replied, his voice shaking slightly, "and I will spend my life looking after you, loving you, caring for you, providing for you and for our family. I'm yours, body, heart and soul, for as long as I live."

He heard Abby laugh gently as he echoed her vows in his. They'd summed everything up so perfectly, he hadn't seen any point in changing them. When she pressed her lips against his, her face was damp with tears, but she was smiling. He smiled back. He had been wrong when he thought life couldn't get any better. This was definitely much better! He tugged at her bottom lip and felt her relax into him. He ran his tongue along her top lip and she met it with hers, sighing as the kiss deepened. Suddenly, a squalling cry sounded and they pulled apart, breathless and cursing. Babies had an impeccable sense of timing it seemed.

Connor reached up and switched the light on looking over to where Abby had already reached the cradle. She looked flushed and happy, if slightly irritated by the interruption. He watched as she lifted the baby out of his cradle and started feeding him. She glanced up at him and blushed.

"Stop staring at me and go make yourself useful," she said softly.

Connor held up his hands in defeat, then got up and dressed quickly before heading out through the tunnel. He was down at the river when he heard a sound that made him freeze. Somewhere behind him, out of his line of sight, a twig had snapped. Typical, he thought. You promise to love someone as long as you live then walk out and get yourself killed. Only he could manage that!

He straightened up slowly, listening for any sign of movement behind him. When there was none, he began to turn, keeping his movements slow and steady and every muscle poised to run.

His eyes locked on to the raptor. Not a baby, but an adult this time. It was watching him suspiciously, probably wondering what he was and if he was a threat or a meal. Connor swallowed nervously, his thoughts flying back to Abby and baby Tom safe in their cave. If he ran, he might live a little bit longer, but not much. He might be able to outrun a baby raptor, but not an adult. There were no trees nearby. The nearest place of safety was the cave, and that was too far away. Even if he did make it there, he'd never get up the cliff or the rope ladder in time. He'd lead the raptor straight to Abby and Tom and make them listen as it ripped him to shreds. They'd never get out of the cave alive. The raptor would keep them trapped in there until they starved to death. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. And the raptor leapt.

It took several seconds for Connor to register the fact that he wasn't dead. Letting out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding, he opened his eyes. The raptor lay motionless on the ground just inches away from him. He reached out a foot and kicked it. Nothing. It was dead. He knelt and looked closer. A bullet hole gaped in the side of the creature's head. Connor sighed in relief and looked round. Becker was standing about thirty feet away, Sarah by his side and a squad of soldiers behind him. Connor started laughing hysterically as he watched the captain lead his team down the riverside towards them.

"I thought I told you not to leave it so long next time!" Connor gasped, grabbing the hand Becker held out to him and pulling himself to his feet.

"We got here as fast as we could," Becker replied. "Where's Abby?"

"She's safe. She's back in the cave with Tom."

"Tom?"

"Probably best I introduce you face to face."

With Becker on one side of him and Sarah on the other, Connor led the team to the cave. He called up to Abby, who soon stick her head out of the entrance with a look of sheer amazement on her face.

"Barbados all right for that honeymoon," said Connor, grinning, "or would you prefer the Seychelles?"

Abby's face disappeared again. There was the sound of rummaging then, a few minutes later, she reappeared and dropped down first one bag, then the other.

"I'll just get Tom," she said, disappearing again.

When she reappeared again, Connor reached up to take the baby from her, handed him to Sarah, then turned back to help Abby down from the cave entrance. Once she was on the ground, Abby turned to retrieve her son from a rather startled Sarah.

"Just how long have you guys been stranded here?" Sarah asked.

"A year," Connor replied immediately. "Exactly one year."

The trip back to the ARC was comfortable enough, squashed into the back of the Hilux with Sarah in between quizzing them on everything. Apparently Danny had found his own way back a few weeks ago, just two days after their disappearance in Sarah's timeline, but two months in Danny's. He'd had a fever and was still in the isolation unit of the ARC's medical facility, but now well on the road to recovery, albeit minus the two fingers where the infection had started off.

The scene in Lester's office an hour later was less comfortable. They had all been taken to the medical bay first to be checked out. Tom had been kept in there for observation, and to let Abby and Connor be grilled by their boss. They now stood before Lester's desk, Sarah stood off to one side, Becker to the other. The soldiers had been dismissed.

"Obviously, you will both be given time off from work to recover from your ordeal," said Lester. "About two days should do it. Presumably it can't have been that traumatic if you managed to get yourself pregnant!"

Connor shot a glance at Abby. She was chewing her lip. She looked guilty. Afraid. Connor glanced back at Lester and realised he wasn't the only one to spot this.

"Miss Maitland," Lester drawled. "Please look me in the eye and tell me that the child you gave birth to in the Cretaceous was fathered by Mr Temple here."

Abby winced, closing her eyes. Lester picked up on the reaction before she could say a word.

"Indeed," he said. "Well that presents yet another problem. Explaining your sudden absence to friends, family and landlords is something we've been managing perfectly well. Explaining your return one month later with a three month old baby is difficult, but not impossible. Explaining this to the child's father, however, may seriously endanger your ability to uphold the Official Secrets Act."

"Sir..." Abby began. Connor detected a note of panic in her voice.

"I take it you do know who the father is, Miss Maitland," said Lester, in a tone that made Connor's blood boil.

"Yes, sir," replied Abby, looking utterly mortified. "But there's no need..."

"Is he someone who is going to notice that you're now a mother?" Lester snapped.

"Yes sir."

"Well, I have neither the time nor the inclination for guessing games, Miss Maitland. If the child's father is going to find out he's a father, I need to know who he is. Now, if you please."

Connor was watching Abby's face. He saw it go through a myriad of emotions: fear, anxiety, regret, guilt, shame. He watched her turn her pale face towards him, terror showing in her eyes.

Why would she be terrified of him?

Not of him, he realised. Of his reaction. Something clicked. Abby had been happy chatting to Sarah on the way back to the ARC, but that didn't explain why she had given up the front seat that had been left for her and Tommy and squashed herself into the back with him and Sarah. She had spoken to everyone since they got back with one exception. She hadn't even looked at him. Connor glanced over at Becker. The guilt on his face mirrored Abby's. He was staring fixedly at a point on the ceiling.

"It was him, wasn't it?" Connor asked her, incredulous. "It was Becker!"

Looking absolutely wretched, Abby nodded her head and burst into tears.

"I'm sorry, Conn, I'm so sorry. I just..."

Connor turned and walked out the door, letting it slam shut behind him. He stormed off in the direction of the lab, his entrance sending the technicians within scattering. With the lab empty, he sank down into a corner, his head in his hands. He shouldn't have reacted like that. Of course he shouldn't. But he was angry. Not with Abby. She had been honest with him. The only reason she hadn't told him about Becker was because he had asked her not to. He hadn't wanted to know. It didn't change the fact that he loved her and Tom then, and it wouldn't now. The person he was angry with was Becker.

They'd made a good team from the start, but after Cutter died, Connor had soon began to think of Becker as a friend. The guy had seen some trauma in his life and it had helped, when Connor had needed someone to talk to about Cutter's death, to know that someone else had gone through something similar. By the time they had left to follow Helen, leaving Becker and Sarah behind, he was beginning to think of Becker as his best friend. He'd even talked to him about Abby. And all the while...

Connor looked up as the door to the lab opened. Seeing Becker walk in, he scrambled to his feet.

"You knew how I felt about her!" Connor shouted angrily, aware now that there were tears on his face. "You knew!"

"Connor, I'm sorry!" Becker started, stepping forward. "It wasn't like we planned it. It just happened."

"Things like that don't just happen!" Connor roared, his fist connecting with Becker's jaw and sending the soldier flying. "She's the love of my life! You're supposed to be my mate! My best mate, probably! You don't make a move on your best mate's girl!"

"She wasn't your girl then!" Becker replied, getting up and trying to keep his voice calm. "I didn't even know she'd kissed you. If I had, I never would have..."

"You knew I loved her!"

"I love her too!"

The last phrase had been a shout and it stopped Connor in his tracks. He stared at his friend.

"I love her too," Becker repeated, more calmly. "After we got back from rescuing Jack, I went round to see her. I had to apologise for the way I'd acted. He was her brother: of course she would go after him. I just couldn't stand the fact that she was in danger. What was worse, when we finally did get the little prat out of there, he didn't care in the slightest about the danger he'd put her in. Put us all in. I was angry with him and angry with myself for letting him get to me. I'm a trained soldier. I'm not supposed to lose my cool like that. I went round to the flat. Jack had just left and Abby had been busily hammering the life out of that punch bag. Emotions were running high. I said the wrong thing. She took it the wrong way. We ended up arguing. Next thing I knew we were kissing. The rest is history. That's all it was though. One night. I don't think either of us really knew how to deal with each other the next day at work. We never spoke about it again."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why do you think?" Becker turned to go. "It was always you she loved though, even when she was with me."

"You don't need to say that," Connor shook his head. "I mean, how could you possibly know?"

"Well, for one thing," said Becker, his hand resting on the door handle, "she called me Connor!"


	9. Alternate Ending!

**A/N: I don't often write two endings for a story, but when I got to a certain point with this one, I knew it could go either way and I could write it either way, so I did. I may get shot down for this one, I'll probably lose what remains of my reputation, but I don't care: the evil plot bunnies took over. It sounds a little off to say "I hope you like it", so I'll just say I hope it makes an impact.**

**Feel free to shout at me. And possibly throw things.****

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**Chapter 8 - Alternate Ending!**

Connor woke up and yawned. He tried to stretch his arms, but remembered one arm was still wrapped around Abby. He bent his head down in the darkness and kissed the top of her head where it lay on his shoulder. Letting his head fall back onto the straw mattress, he sighed happily. One month. One whole month of being the happiest man alive. Okay, so technically he was the only man alive at present, but still. He had a purpose in life: a wife and child to take care of. Okay, so there hadn't been any wedding ceremony, but there never would be here. If they ever did get back to their own time, he'd take care of that. He had no money worries, a safe comfortable home that nobody could take away from him, enough food to get his entire family through the winter and the woman he loved lying by his side with her arms wrapped round him. Life didn't get much better.

A small sound from Abby told him that she was waking up. She usually woke up shortly after he did, unless Tommy woke them both of course: then Abby was always first on her feet. He felt her hand slide up his body and pull his head down to hers. He smiled against her lips. This was another morning ritual that made life that little bit more worth living.

"Morning beautiful," he whispered, aware that baby Tommy was still sound asleep for once.

"It's pitch black in here, Connor," Abby replied. "You can't see whether I'm beautiful or not."

"You're always beautiful," he smiled, kissing her forehead. "In every way."

"And you're a sentimental, romantic fool," Abby chided.

"Yeah, but you love me anyway, right?"

"Always."

"So marry me."

"What?"

Connor felt Abby's weight leave his side as she sat up in shock. He sat up and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"What's wrong?" Connor whispered in her ear. "Tell me."

"N-nothing, I..." Abby stuttered, then took a deep breath. "I just wasn't expecting that," she said. "I mean it's not like we can go out and find a priest or a registry office or whatever here, is it?"

"Do we need one?"

"I think it is a bit of a necessity, Connor, yes. Witnesses too."

"Okay, so we don't have any of that," Connor shrugged. "But that said, we don't have any government to check up on us, or any God-squad to judge us, or any taxes to pay or people to prove things to. We have each other. When you come right down to it, what is a wedding all about? It's about promising to love each other and take care of each other forever. And I do. And I will. What more do we need?"

Abby was silent for a while and began to Connor wonder if she had changed her mind about him. Suddenly he felt something wet drop onto the arm that he held around Abby's waist. A tear. She was crying.

"Abby?" Connor whispered, his voice betraying the worry he felt. "Abs? Say something. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Abby gasped, reaching a hand up to scrub the tears away from her face. "Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"If we ever get back home, we do this properly, for real, in front of everyone."

"Big white dress. As many bridesmaids as you like. Massive cake. Honeymoon suite in a five star hotel in the Bahamas. The works."

"I love you, Connor Temple," Abby laughed, twisting round and pulling his head down to hers again. "I always will. Everything I have, everything I am, is yours. Body, heart and soul. As long as I live."

"You are my everything," Connor replied, his voice shaking slightly, "and I will spend my life looking after you, loving you, caring for you, providing for you and for our family. I'm yours, body, heart and soul, for as long as I live."

He heard Abby laugh gently as he echoed her vows in his. They'd summed everything up so perfectly, he hadn't seen any point in changing them. When she pressed her lips against his, her face was damp with tears, but she was smiling. He smiled back. He had been wrong when he thought life couldn't get any better. This was definitely much better! He tugged at her bottom lip and felt her relax into him. He ran his tongue along her top lip and she met it with hers, sighing as the kiss deepened. Suddenly, a squalling cry sounded and they pulled apart, breathless and cursing. Babies had an impeccable sense of timing it seemed.

Connor reached up and switched the light on looking over to where Abby had already reached the cradle. She looked flushed and happy, if slightly irritated by the interruption. He watched as she lifted the baby out of his cradle and started feeding him. She glanced up at him and blushed.

"Stop staring at me and go make yourself useful," she said softly.

Connor held up his hands in defeat, then got up and dressed quickly before heading out through the tunnel. He was down at the river when he heard a sound that made him freeze. Somewhere behind him, out of his line of sight, a twig had snapped. Typical, he thought. You promise to love someone as long as you live then walk out and get yourself killed. Only he could manage that!

He straightened up slowly, listening for any sign of movement behind him. When there was none, he began to turn, keeping his movements slow and steady and every muscle poised to run.

His eyes locked on to the raptor. Not a baby, but an adult this time. It was watching him suspiciously, probably wondering what he was and if he was a threat or a meal. Connor swallowed nervously, his thoughts flying back to Abby and baby Tom safe in their cave. If he ran, he might live a little bit longer, but not much. He might be able to outrun a baby raptor, but not an adult. There were no trees nearby. The nearest place of safety was the cave, and that was too far away. Even if he did make it there, he'd never get up the cliff or the rope ladder in time. He'd lead the raptor straight to Abby and Tom and make them listen as it ripped him to shreds. They'd never get out of the cave alive. The raptor would keep them trapped in there until they starved to death. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. And the raptor leapt.

The first bite broke his neck. He was thankful for that. It meant he felt no physical pain as the raptor tore him up like a paper doll. As the blood drained from his body his last thoughts were of Abby and the happiness he had felt such a short time earlier. He had thought then that life couldn't get any better. Apparently that time he'd been right.

XXXX

Two hours later, when Captain Becker and Sarah Page led a team of soldiers through the anomaly that had opened up just two miles from the ARC, they found the half-eaten remains of Connor Temple by the bank of a river. They had followed the signal of a tracking device in Becker's rucksack, the one he had given to Connor before watching them leave through the future anomaly. Leaving a few soldiers to clean up and bag the mess, Becker led a crying Sarah and the rest of his team in the direction of the signal. It didn't take them long to find the cave, or to persuade Abby to come out. Becker kept an eye on the surrounding land as Abby handed baby Tom down to Sarah, then clambered down herself, but he couldn't look at her when she asked where Connor was. When Abby collapsed at the news, he ordered one of his men to picked her up and carry her. She was still crying when they brought her back through the anomaly. For weeks she stayed curled up in the medical bay of the ARC, refusing food or drink. They had to sedate her to put a line in, just to keep her alive. It didn't work. Six months later, Abby Maitland died of a broken heart, leaving her son in the care of Sarah Page and his biological father, Captain Becker.


	10. Series 4

Episode 2 in my Primeval Series 4 is now up!

Look for **Primeval Series 4: Episode 2: He Ain't Heavy**

If you haven't already read the first episode, look for **Primeval Series 4: Episode 1: MIA**


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